Stretcher float



22, 1950 B. E. JENNINGS 2,519,376

STRETCHER FLOAT Filed Sept. 15, 1946 FIG. 2

Swan/whom BELTON E. JENNINGS Patented Aug. 22, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE STRETCHER FLQA'I Belton Emoulcus ennings, United States NavyApplication September 13, lfl ifi, Serial No, 686,960 2 Claims. (01.9511.) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

This invention relates to stretcher floats and has for an object toprovide quickly attachable and detachable floats for providing readilycontrollable flotation to stretchers for use in removing injured personsfrom the water, a in rescue greatest possible gentleness, the handlingof in- .jured persons without inducing additional pain While they arebeing taken aboard cannot be accomplished.

The use of a Stokes stretcher as a seine for lifting the injuredpersonnel has been a great aid in overcoming some of the diflicultiesinvolved. However, ordinary Stokes stretchers are dif icult to handle inthe water and are not entirely satisfactory. It is an object of thisinvention to provide quickly attachable and detachable floats to thestandard Stokes stretcher so as toafford ease in handling of thestretcher in removing survivors of crashes without causing additionalinjuries.

A further object of this invention i to provide floats for a stretcherwhich not only provide flotation to the stretcher but also act aslenders and shock absorbers during the hoisting of the stretcher aboardthe rescue vessel, thus minimizing the eflect of jarring and bumping.

A further object of this invention is to provide stretcher floats which,in addition to being provided as standard equipment, may be improvisedin the field from stock and salvage material practically alwaysavailable in the field.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages will become apparent fromthe specification and drawings which follow, in which:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a Stokes stretcher with the floats of thisinvention attached thereto, and

Fig. 2 is a side plan view, partly broken away, of Fig. 1.

There is shown at i E] a fioatable stretcher made up according to thisinvention. This floatable stretcher l include a standard Stokesstretcher H to the ends of which are attached two fitted U-shaped floatsI2 and i3, made up according to this invention. Although the Stokes typeof stretcher II is here illustrated, it will be underamended April 30,192 8; 3700. G. 7 57) and stood that any other similar type of stretchermay be used. The stretcher illustrated, as usual, consists of an ovalshaped frame is having ends of general U-shape and the usual side bars55 and cross bars I 6 as well as the leg dividing bar ll, to which frameand bars is secured the dished or baske't shaped wire mesh 18. Thisstretcher II is of the type adapted to support an adult person at fulllength with his head at one end and his legs on opposite sides of theleg dividing bar I! at the other end and is standard first aid equipmenteverywhere.

The invention consists in the head end U.- shaped float l2 and the feetend U-shaped float I3. together with the means for securing such"ll-shaped floats to the stretcher II, as well as the handling lines 2!]for maneuvering the float- .at 2:, and in addition, may be provided withknots spaced one, foot apart for the five or six feet. nearest thestretcher to aid in manually holding the wet. line when lifting thestretcher aboard. the rescue vessel.

Each of the floats l2 and G3 are made identical ly, diiiering only intheir dimensions so that they may better fit the wider head end 22 andthe narrower feet end 23 of the stretcher it. Each of the floats is madeof an inner pneumatic tube 24 having a conventional valve 25 forinflating the same. This tube may be a discarded airplane or automobiletire tube of appropriate size, either folded double if small enough, orcut and closed at its ends by vulcanizing or cold patching. The tube 24i placed within a canvas boot 26 shaped to flt the stretcher ends 22 and23 and extending a short distance along the sides of the stretcher II asshown, thus making the floats somewhat U-shaped, as shown.

sewed about the center and adjacent the ends of the U-shaped canvasboots 26 are attaching straps 21 and 28, the straps encompassing theboot and terminating in snap buckles 30, which extend under thestretcher H and are snapped to the wire mesh I8 of the stretcher II. Thecenter strap 21 has an additional shorter strap 3| sewed thereto, havinga D-ring 32 sewed close to the outer top edge of the boot 26, and a snapbuckle 33 at its end, this strap 3| being folded about the frame l4 andsecured to the D-ring to the vicinity of the injured person.

32, thus holding the float firmly in position at the head and feet ends22 and 23 of the stretcher ll. These straps 21, 28 and 3| are made ofharness or webbing similar to that used in parachute harness, and infact, may be made of discarded parachute harness, for they do not carryany very great load when in use. The inner tubes 24 may be securedwithin the canvas boots 25 by leaving an opening in the end of the bootsand then sewing it up after the tube is inserted. 1

In operation, the floats l2 and 13, either before or after inflation,may be attached to the stretcher II by passing the second center strap3| about the frame 14 and snapping its buckle 33 to the D-ring 32. Thenthe other straps 21 and 28 are passed under the ends of the stretcher Hand their buckles 30 are snapped to the wire mesh l8. Next, the handlinglines 20 with their coils 2| are tied to the frame I4 at about the pointwhere the end straps 28 pass thereunder, thus making the floatablestretcher l ready for use.

In rescuing an injured person from the water, two men, preferablywearing life jackets and with separate safety lines tied to them in caseof heavy seas, maneuver the floating stretcher I0 After straighteningthe person in the water, they mere- 1y depress the floating stretcher [0in the water to under the injured person, and let it gently float upwarduntil it supports the injured person.

Then with the aid of the handling lines and the safety lines, operatedby personnel aboard the rescue vessel, they make their way to the sideof the rescue vessel where the stretcher is hoisted aboard manually bythe handling lines, with the aid of the knots in the lines, or, ifavailable on the rescue boat, the foot end handling lines are reevedthrough a pulley, to assist in getting the stretcher l0 out of the wateron board the rescue vessel. When the floating stretcher I0 is beingremoved from the water to the deck, the floats l2 and I3 act as fendersand shock absorbers, minimizing jars and bumps. After the stretcher ison deck, if desired, the floats and handling lines may be quicklydetached, especially if needed for use on additional stretchers II, towhich they can be quickly attached, for further rescue work.

The invention described herein may be manu- 4 factured and used by orfor the Government of the United States of America for governmentalpurposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

What is claimed is:

1. For use in combination with a basket-shaped stretcher of the Stokestype having ends of general U-shape, a combination flotation and fendermeans comprising a pair of U-shaped pneumatic floats adapted to besecured about the U-shaped ends of the stretcher between the planes ofthe top and bottom of said stretcher, said floats each comprising aninner tube, a U-shaped canvas boot within which said inner tube islocated, straps secured to and encompassing said boot, andstretcher-attaching means on said straps adapted to be secured to astretcher element from the bottom thereof.

2. For use in combination with a basket-shaped stretcher of the Stokestype having ends of general U-shape, a combination flotation and fendermeans comprising a pair of U-shaped floats adapted to be secured aboutthe U-shaped ends of the stretcher between the planes of the top andbottom of said stretcher, said floats each comprising flotation means, aU-shaped canvas boot within which said flotation means is located,straps secured to and encompassing said boot, and stretcher-attachingsnap buckles on said straps adapted to be snapped to a stretcher elementfrom the bottom thereof, an additional strap at about the center of theboot, a snap buckle thereon, a buckle receiving ring on said boot forsaid additional strap to pass about an element of the stretcher at itsupper edge and back to the buckle receiving ring on said boot to therebyproperly position the float at the stretcher end.

BELTON EMOULOUS JENNINGS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,277,022 Young Aug. 27, 19181,793,905 Chestnut Feb. 24, 1931 2,355,757 Spanel Aug. 15, 19442,391,906 Kearny Jan. 1, 1946

